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Empathica’s Facebook Application Achieves More Than 1 Million Retail Recommendations from Consumers

The GoRecommend application, which allows satisfied customers to post recommendations on Facebook, has experienced excellent buy-in from retailers and consumers alike.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- January 11, 2010 -- Empathica Inc., a leading provider of Customer Experience Management (CEM) solutions to some of the world’s most respected brands, announced today that its GoRecommend application has generated more than 1 million news feed posts on Facebook.

The application, launched in June 2009, encourages customers to promote positive retail experiences via Facebook using an automated referral process that is easy for a retailer to implement, and a consumer to use. After customers complete a retail experience survey, the GoRecommend engine prompts those who were happy with their experience to make an online recommendation on Facebook.

The results directly translate into significant positive brand impressions, as the location-specific content will automatically appear on both a brand’s Facebook fan page and a user’s profile page.

“The nagging fear from marketers is that consumers dislike when brands invade their personal space online,” explains Andrew Datars, Empathica’s VP of Product Management. “What we've found, though, is that people are happy to make recommendations online and that the verbatim comments are very warm and sincere. We are excited to be driving a significant impact in the social media space and doing it in a way that retailers didn't know they could do.”

Contrary to what some marketers believe, it can be very valuable to give consumers some control with the online brand messaging. 

“With GoRecommend, we strive to empower consumers to be online advocates of the brand,” Datars adds. “By playing a more active, less passive role, consumers become more committed to the brand’s success.”

As more retailers begin to implement GoRecommend, Empathica has continued to make value-added improvements such as stronger calls-to-action for the recommender. A simplified end-user experience prompts the customer to make a recommendation in only two clicks, after which a brand can send an invitation for the individual to join the brand’s Facebook fan page, e-club or even support a charity of their choice. These features are customizable to meet a brand’s marketing requirements. Coupons included in the Facebook recommendation have seen significant redemption rates as well, with indications that individuals are forwarding coupons to friends.

Over the next month Empathica has 18 brands scheduled for pilot tests, and 6,000 locations will be actively using GoRecommend by the end of January. The use of GoRecommend doesn’t require an existing social media strategy or even a company Facebook account, and is a way retailers can be introduced to the power of using social media in conjunction with their CEM strategy.

To learn more, go to www.empathica.com and visit the Products section.

About Empathica:
Empathica provides Customer Experience Management programs to more than 200 of the world’s leading brands, ranging from multi-unit retailers, to banks and restaurants. Its rich analysis of survey data using state-of-the-art surveying and dashboard reporting software allows for performance-improvement solutions, evidence-based marketing insights, and customer experience management consulting. Annually, Empathica’s 30 million customer surveys in 17 languages reach more than 70,000 locations. A privately-held organization, Empathica is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and also has offices in Birmingham, England and Alpharetta, GA, in the United States. For more information about deriving actionable insights that enhance a brand’s operational excellence, visit Empathica at www.empathica.com.


Contact:
Lauren Eichmann Phone: 312.265.3089

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